One of the many things that characterized my late father was the value he placed on avoiding waste. For example, stamps. The postage placed on return envelopes from charities that sent my father mail many times each year asking for donations should not be wasted. So he saved the envelopes to do what I am doing right now–soaking them in water to dissolve the adhesive attaching them to the envelopes.

Not that my father was at all miserly. I discovered that he gave thousands to charities each year when going through his papers after he passed away. He simply knew the value of money. That it should not be wasted but rather put to use. A few dollars saved here is a few more dollars to give to a worthy cause.

– Ian Chun www.mlatte.com an iPhone email